Introducing AAC (Augmentative Alternative Communication) to the Classroom
Co Regulation Have You Got What it Takes ? Professional Learning Day to Support Neurodivergent Students as an SNA in a Primary School Setting
Session 1 - 9.30 - 10.40am: Safe Nervous Systems for Students
Explore how to become a safe and supportive presence for learners by understanding the role of nervous system regulation through use of the PACE model. We will focus on the power of connection and attunement, while practicing sensory and emotional regulation strategies that foster trust and wellbeing.
Session 2 - 10.50 - 11.50am: Sensory Profiles & Co-Regulation
Gain insight into the sensory profiles of your students and learn how to support them as a co-regulator. This session will introduce sensory checklists and highlight common patterns, offering practical interpretations. Real-life scenarios will be shared to illustrate how empathetic, supportive responses make a difference.
Session 3 - 12- 1.00pm: Practical Resources for Schools
Discover practical tools and resources designed to support sensory and emotional regulation in the classroom. We will explore approaches that can be seamlessly integrated into the school environment to better support neurodivergent learners in their daily experiences.
Bio of Presenter: Aideen Rutledge
Aideen has specialised in the area of autism having worked with Middletown Centre for Autism, the HSE and NHS as an Occupational Therapist (OT) over the past 20 years. She is a certified Sensory Attachment Therapist and holds a Masters in Sensory Integration.
Aideen supports children and young people directly, their families and schools. She also provides specialist training to professionals and parents in the area of regulation and Autism.
Aideen was the winner of the 2022 Eva Duggan Award which celebrated excellence in Children's OT practice. She has had two published peer review papers in the Irish Journal of Occupational Therapy in 2019 and 2024.
Co-Regulation in Action: Supporting Children Through Anxiety and Distress
Target Audience: Primary School SNAs & Teachers
A recording will be shared with all registrants for a period of 4 weeks after the live event. All registrants will receive a cert of attendance.
In every classroom, moments of anxiety and distress are inevitable, but how we respond can make all the difference.
This one-hour webinar explores what co-regulation looks like in real school settings, where time, space, and emotional demands often collide.
We’ll look at how language, body language, and environmental adjustments can help children feel safe, seen, and supported—even when they are struggling.
Grounded in neuroaffirmative and trauma-informed practice, this session offers realistic, actionable strategies for teachers and SNAs to use during moments of dysregulation or overwhelm.
Participants will leave with practical tools that foster emotional safety, strengthen connection, and build capacity for calm in the classroom.
By the end of this webinar, participants will:
-
Understand the role of co-regulation in reducing distress and supporting emotional recovery
-
Recognise how adult tone, presence, and body language impact pupil regulation
-
Identify the early signs of anxiety and overload in autistic and neurodivergent pupils
-
Explore environmental adjustments that promote calm and predictability in the classroom
-
Leave with simple, evidence-informed co-regulation strategies to use throughout the school day
Bio of Presenter
Laura Crowley is an Autistic autism consultant, additional needs sleep consultant, and award-winning advocate with over 25 years’ experience supporting neurodivergent children, teens, and families. A late-identified Autistic woman and parent to an Autistic child, Laura’s work is grounded in both lived experience and professional expertise. She is passionate about promoting neuroaffirmative practice, challenging outdated myths, and creating environments where Autistic people can thrive authentically. Through her consultancy, training, and advocacy, Laura focuses on truth, inclusion, empathy, and equity; helping families, schools, and professionals understand that different is not less, it is human diversity to be embraced.
